Services & Resources

Ben Franklin delivers hands-on support, guidance, and investment funds at companies’ most vulnerable times. For more than 33 years, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania has helped hundreds of the region’s technology companies prosper by providing access to capital, business expertise, university resources, and more.

Capital Investment

BFTP/NEP takes calculated risks by investing in early-stage companies that cannot secure seed funding through conventional means. We assist these young firms as they prepare to raise additional capital and provide an important initial endorsement for a new company. We also support established manufacturers as they implement technological innovation for competitive advantage.

We make investments that typically range from $25,000 to $150,000 per year for up to three years. Selection is competitive and is based upon many factors, including the company’s ability to create and/or retain highly paid, sustainable jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Business Expertise

Each company in the Ben Franklin portfolio benefits from the collective experience of seasoned professionals who focus on turning high-potential ideas into high-growth businesses. In-house expertise is complemented by Ben Franklin’s extensive Solutions Network of advisers, service providers, and investors, creating a powerful and comprehensive support program for clients.

University Resources

Ben Franklin provides a crucial link between the Commonwealth’s companies and the wealth of knowledge, facilities, and human resources in the state’s higher education institutions. We tap into the research strength of Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities, whose faculty and students work directly with clients.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania is headquartered on the campus of Lehigh University with regional offices in Lewisburg, Reading, and Scranton. BFTP/NEP also owns, manages, and operates Ben Franklin TechVentures, a technology incubator/post-incubator facility on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, and the Bloomsburg Regional Technology Center in downtown Bloomsburg.

Infrastructure

Business infrastructure is the underlying framework that supports companies in an area. Elements of this infrastructure include the availability of investment funds, physical buildings, and access to expertise, research, and laboratory facilities. Ben Franklin initiates and supports targeted activities that build the regional technology infrastructure including:

Ben Franklin TechVentures®, located on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus, earned the prestigious International Business Innovation Association Incubator of the Year Award in 2001 and again in 2012. Our staff applies this incubation expertise in leading the Ben Franklin Business Incubator Network.

Centers of Excellence. Ben Franklin provides financial support to colleges and universities in establishing Centers of Excellence throughout our region. An example of this is the Plastics Innovation and Resource Center at the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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